Sunova Torpedo Morphlex Team - Futures - 4 + 1 Fin - Shortboard

THE TORPEDO is a small wave groveller that allows you to ride almost non-existent waves, but which also maintains its hold when the waves get a bit bigger. It's quite a versatile board: it picks up almost anything without feeling loggy or heavy. On the contrary, the board always feels super loose and fun. It runs on just about anything and lets you fly down the line, making sections at record speed and still being able to hook a turn from the bottom.

• OUTLINE: FULL MINI MAL-LIKE NOSE, WIDEST POINT FORWARD, ROUNDED SWALLOW
• BOTTOM: FLAT BOTTOM
• ROCKER: THE FLATTEST SHORTBOARD SUNOVA MAKES
• RAILS: SLIGHTLY FULLER WITH HARD BOTTOM EDGES
• FINS (not included): 4+1
• PURPOSE: THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE FUNCTIONAL BOARD THAT CAN FLY DOWN THE LINE
• WAVE: HIP HIGH TO ONE AND A HALF HEAD HIGH
• SURFER: BEGINNER TO PRO

About the board

GENERAL PURPOSE | BOARD THEME
A fast, positive-feeling board for small down-the-line waves.

WAVE TYPE ||| SIZE IT WORKS BEST IN
Most weaker wave types, down-the-line and open waves. ||| From just below hip high to one and a half head high.

MANEUVERS IT DOES BEST
Power carves and cutbacks.

SKILL LEVEL IT IS BEST FOR
Beginner to pro.

PADDLE POWER
Well above average.

WHAT WAS THE DESIGN IDEA?
The goal was the shortest possible functional board that could fly down the line. With maximum tail area, you would expect it to slide out, but the large center fin feels solid and positive, giving it maximum hold and drive. The short length compensates for that, allowing you to still make very tight snaps and lean into power turns.

WHERE DOES IT FALL SHORT?
It doesn't like choppy beach breaks with short-breaking waves where you need to get out immediately. It has tons of drive from the bottom turn due to the larger center fin, and precisely because of this, it's difficult to get immediate top speed from the first pump when the wave closes out. So, going from take-off to a re-entry on a closeout is a big ask.

Summary shape details | design info

OUTLINE
Full mini mal-like nose, widest point forward, rounded swallow. The fuller nose helps the board climb onto the water more easily during the first strokes. The mid-section outline is somewhat more parallel, but there is a significant amount of tail area. Normally, a board that is so short and wide feels difficult to draw lines with and carve. The Torpedo carves, carries through and provides drive through turns, and feels positive under your feet instead of like a slippery hovercraft.

RAILS
Slightly fuller with hard bottom edges. The fuller rails are a bit more forgiving; super thin rails are sensitive, but then you also need to surf with precision to avoid mistakes. The bottom edge of the front rail is strongly beveled and the entire rail has more of a hard edge. Instead of the water wrapping around the rail and pulling the board into the wave face, the board releases cleanly from the bottom edge and rides high on the water. This gives a fast, skatey feel, but not slippery and uncontrollable: it's forward speed.

ROCKER
The flattest shortboard Sunova makes. For its size, it's a paddling machine and carries through waves very well. Generally, the more rocker, the more you have to pump for speed, but the Torpedo carries through on its own. Maximum glide, so you have plenty of time to get your feet set properly. It also carries well over fat sections and maintains its speed through turns.

BOTTOM
Flat bottom. Since the board is designed for weaker waves, maximum speed is the goal. Sunova's unique flexible bottom adds another layer of performance, making the boards less dependent on bottom contours anyway.

DECK
The deck has a fairly standard profile, with the board as a whole being slightly thicker. This means the volume extends proportionally into the rails and into the nose and tail. That volume provides comfort when paddling and catching waves: you won't be struggling to get out of the water on your first strokes.

FINS (not included)
4+1. The larger tail fin provides an insane amount of hold, drive, and direction. Combined with a shortboard that would normally do the opposite, the combination of a smaller board with a larger fin works very well. The board has also been ridden as a twin fin, with large raked side fins, and that worked surprisingly well. The idea with this board is to deliberately put too much fin on it, to compensate for the skatey and drifty feeling of a wide tail.

Final words

A fun board for down-the-line waves. You'll be amazed how much ground you can cover on the face.

Fin(s) included: None.

About Sunova

Sunova builds its boards in The Board Factory in Thailand using wood and composite sandwich constructions. The brand is known for lightweight, strong boards with lively flex and long durability. Versatile shapes that also perform excellently in North Sea waves, which is why they are stocked at Hart Beach.